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Updated: Feb 25, 2026
11:56
Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
12.9K
Observed decompression sickness and venous bubbles following 18-msw dive profiles using RN Table 11
S Lesley Blogg1, Andreas Møllerløkken2, Mikael Gennser3
1SLB Consulting, c/o The Barn, Winton, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4HL, United Kingdom.
Summary
Venous bubble load after diving can indicate decompression sickness (DCS) risk. This study found the 18 msw Mod Air Table profile had lower DCS incidence than predicted, despite one neurological DCS case.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Diving Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Venous gas emboli (VGE) presence after diving correlates with decompression sickness (DCS) risk.
- The Royal Navy Table 11 (Mod Air Table) at 18 msw is a standard dive profile.
- Concerns exist regarding the safety of this profile, particularly after a recent neurological DCS case.
Purpose of the Study:
- To retrospectively analyze post-dive venous bubble load and DCS incidence.
- To evaluate the safety of the 18 msw Mod Air Table dive profile.
- To compare observed DCS risk with model predictions and existing datasets.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of seven studies involving 220 man-dives on the 18 msw Mod Air Table profile.
- Venous bubble measurements using Doppler or 2D ultrasound (Kisman-Masurel and Eftedal-Brubakk scales) after 219 dives.
- Documentation of DCS cases and minor symptoms ('niggles').
Main Results:
- Overall median bubble grade was 0.5 (KM/EB scale), with a median maximum grade of 2.
- A low incidence of minor symptoms (0.9%) was observed, treated with surface oxygen.
- One neurological DCS case occurred (no bubble data available), treated with hyperbaric oxygen.
Conclusions:
- The DCS risk associated with the 18 msw Mod Air Table profile appears lower than predicted by current models.
- Observed DCS incidence is lower than expected when compared to the DCIEM dataset.
- Further investigation into dive table safety and bubble monitoring is warranted.
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